WSIB cuts 466 jobs across Ontario as union warns of service delays for injured workers
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is consolidating back-office roles, cutting 466 jobs across nine Ontario cities with another 155 cuts planned in Waterloo within a year.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is cutting 466 jobs across nine Ontario cities in what the union calls a "gut punch" to the province's workplace injury system.
Affected employees work in Sudbury, Windsor, Thunder Bay, St. Catharines, Guelph, Sault Ste. Marie, Kingston, North Bay and Timmins. The WSIB says it has made a "difficult business decision to consolidate" roles of back-office staff who work remotely. An additional 155 jobs will be cut in Waterloo in about a year.
Union president Harry Goslin, speaking for the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (an arm of the Canadian Union of Public Employees), says the cuts will mean delays in service for people returning to work after injury. "The WSIB says there will still be local teams in those regions providing in-person support," the board stated, but Goslin's concern signals worry that remote consolidation will slow response times when injured workers need help.
The cuts come as Ontario public sector employers face budget pressures. Earlier this year, school boards and other institutions announced significant layoffs, though none of the scale or scope of the WSIB move.
What specific service metrics will WSIB track to measure whether injured workers experience delays?
Has the union announced any formal action or grievance process in response to the cuts?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
By the numbers
How many WSIB jobs are being cut across Ontario?
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is cutting 466 jobs across nine Ontario cities, with an additional 155 jobs to be cut in Waterloo within a year.
Which Ontario cities are affected by the WSIB job cuts?
The affected cities are Sudbury, Windsor, Thunder Bay, St. Catharines, Guelph, Sault Ste. Marie, Kingston, North Bay, and Timmins.
